CHARLESTON, SC — Despite a Division I-era program-record six home runs, the Bellarmine University baseball team was defeated 17-10 by Charleston Southern in a series opener Friday at CSU Ballpark.

Senior first baseman Seth Sweet-Chick clubbed two homers for Bellarmine (0-8). Freshman shortstop Landon Akers, senior center fielder Casey Sorg, junior left fielder Eli Watson and junior catcher Charlie Rife also went deep for the Knights, who previous D1-era record for homers was four, set on several occasions.

Charleston Southern (7-1) launched four home runs of its own as the teams combined for a whopping 10 for the game. The Buccaneers only outhit Bellarmine 10-9, but the Knights' staff issued 12 walks. CSU had five three-run innings and another with two.

Bellarmine took a 1-0 lead in the first on a solo homer from Sorg. The Knights then tied it at 3-3 in the third on back-to-back shots from Sweet-Chick and Akers.

Watson cranked a two-run round-tripper and Rife delivered a three-run blast in the fifth to vault Bellarmine to an 8-6 lead, but Charleston Southern regained the advantage in the bottom half on a three-run homer. A three-run sixth followed by a three-run homer in the seventh provided the Bucs some distance from the Knights.

Bellarmine's final two runs came in the eighth via Sweet-Chick's second homer of the contest and his team-high third of the season. Sorg and Akers' long balls were their second each of the season, while Watson and Rife's dingers were their firsts of the year.

The second game of the series is set for 4:30 p.m. (ET) Saturday.

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